The Best of Intentions for a Perfect Weekend
by JennyWillow
Summary: Sam makes a phone call to the person he trusts most when his perfect weekend falls apart. Major spoilers for 6x06


All he wanted was a nice romantic weekend away, the perfect weekend, away, but everything had gone wrong from the start. The bird, the poison ivy, the damn raccoon, or whatever the hell it was that got into the house. It was so not what he had planned. 

He heard Andy groan in frustration. Around the corner he found her kneeling over the doormat, which was covered in filth. "This is terrible!" she cried. 

"McNally, it's just...it's not that bad..." he trailed off as she threw him a look. 

"Forget it, I'm going down to the lake to try and scrub this out." He sighed as she slammed the door behind her.

He'd had it all planned out. Down to the very last detail. And now it was all falling apart.

Running his hand through his hair, Sam considered his options. Oliver would know what to do. Oliver could turn any situation around. He pulled out his phone.

"Hey, Oliver."

"Sammy, brother, I'd love to talk, but now is really not the best time." Sam could hear papers rustling and people talking in the background. 

"Just need you for a sec, boss."

"No, seriously, man, I'll call you later, ok?"

"Yeah, sure-" he started to reply, but Oliver had already hung up. Sam rubbed his face. "Ok, plan b then." Oliver might have been able to turn anything around, but when everything went to hell there was one other person who Sam trusted. Someone upon who he could always depend.

He scrolled through his phone again, and selected a name.

"Sam, you read my mind. A phone call with you is exactly what I need right now. It's been a hell of a day, and it's not even close to being over."

"Anything for you, Williams." he smiled. Why didn't he think of Noelle first?

"So, what's up? It's been a while since we last had a heart-to-heart."

"Oh, you know, accidentally killing birds, being attacked by mutant three-leaf parsley, cleaning up after wild animals, the usual. How about you? How's the baby?"

He could hear her laughing down the line. "She's good, but I have a feeling you have quite a story to tell me. Spill, Swarek."

He laughed along, and then started with the whole story. How he planned it all to a tee. How he knew they needed a weekend, how much he wanted to be with just her, alone. The drive up to the cabin, then swimming in the lake, a nice dinner together, a romantic day with just the two of them culminating with a proposal right in front of that lake she loved so much. Then they would have the rest of the weekend together, just them. It was all going to be perfect, the best weekend ever.

"...but everything is going so wrong, Noelle. After all the things we've been through, I just wanted this one thing to go according to plan!"

Noelle laughed. Sam almost wanted to scream at her. How on earth could anyone see this as funny!

"Sammy, this couldn't be more right! Don't you see?"

He could barely hide his annoyance. He cleared his throat. "No, Noelle. I really don't."

"Think about it, Sam. You fall for this girl, but she's with someone else. They break up, and she falls for you, but you go under cover. You guys finally get together, it falls apart. You tell her you love her, and she runs off undercover with some other guy. She gets back, you're with someone else."

"I get the picture, Williams!" Sam was getting more frustrated by the second. "That's why I needed this weekend to be perfect! She deserves it!"

"But, Sam, don't you get it? Think about the last six months alone. Obstacles are being hurled at you two. You're going to be a father, and the kid's not hers, and she's still there! You guys manage to be stronger, even with everything that's going on. This weekend is perfect! It's the perfect metaphor. The universe throws things at you guys, and you just keep rolling through it!"

His voice caught in his throat, and his greatest fear came out in barely a whisper. "But what if she says no? This weekend is falling apart, and-"

Noelle sighed. "Sam, she is not going to say no. She loves you."

And then it really hit him. She was right. She was always right. "Noelle, what on earth would I ever do without you?"

"Wither and die, Sammy. Now go grab that ring, and tell the girl how much you love her! Forget fancy proposals with flowers and fireworks. This is about you, and Andy, and nothing more. Be the man you are, not the man you think she wants. Because she loves you for who you are."

"Noelle..." 

"Save it, Swarek. You can thank me at the wedding."

As the line went dead, he knew. She was right about everything. She always was.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the ring, pulled the door open, and stepped out into the unknown.


End file.
